Hyde Park United Methodist Hyde Park United Methodist
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- Religion & Spirituality
Sermons and talks from Hyde Park United Methodist. Making God's Love Real. Find out more at hydeparkumc.org
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Hard to Believe, Part 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 16, 2024
For many, the existence of suffering and evil in the world is the greatest hurdle to full faith and belief in God. It seems irreconcilable that a God who is all-powerful and all-loving could allow the presence of pain and hardship. It is a dilemma that preacher and biblical scholar Tom Long called “the impossible chess match,” in which there is no clear and clean outcome. But faith allows us to trust where there are no easy answers, and follow God when we ask our hardest questions. HydeP...
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Hard to Believe, Part 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 9, 2024
The early church theologian Anselm defined God as “a being than which nothing greater can be conceived.” This central premise led to the classic “omni” qualities of God: Omnipresence (God is everywhere), omnipotence (God is all powerful), and omnipresent (God is all knowing). These qualities have occasionally been problematic for us due to the presence of suffering and evil in the world. By reframing these qualities and incorporating God’s “omnibenevolence” (God’s all-lovingness), we can disc...
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Hard to Believe, Part 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 2, 2024
The dual nature of Jesus is central to Christian belief. We believe Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine. It is as difficult to understand this concept empirically (1+1=1) as it is to believe in the trinity (1+1+1=1). But claiming the full humanity and divinity of Jesus allows us to have a full relationship with God, who through Christ is both greater than us and is deeply connected to us. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. Do you tend to have a “high” or “low” image of Je...
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Hard to Believe, Part 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 26, 2024
The doctrine of the trinity is one of the most essential tenets of the Christian faith. It is also the hardest to explain and understand rationally. By claiming our belief in the triune God, we not only allow for the mystery of God’s nature and activity; we also discover how to fully live a trinitarian life, the way God intends. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps.comReflection Questions:1. What are the hardest questions about the faith that you wrestle with? 2. What is your favorite image o...
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Pentecost Sunday // Logan Kijanski // May 19, 2024
The arrival of the Holy Spirit not only birthed the church. It also inaugurated a new way of experiencing the power and presence of God, which is the very same way we can experience God today: invisible, but active, and very real.HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
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Life's Highs & Lows, Part 6 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // May 12, 2024
Walking was the most common form of transport in both the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman World. Roads were important facets of the landscape; they enhanced travel, promoted safety and commerce, and improved connections between communities. Many biblical references use the image of a road or path as a metaphor for the faithful life. Discipleship is about taking the journey, one step at a time.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What landscape are you currently in?2. What do...